It is often claimed that fish stocked in rice fields have a significant impact on the rice pest population. However, there is little experimental evidence for this. We used the data of six experiments to find out whether a polyculture of silver barb Barbodes gonionotus (Bleeker), common carp Cyprinus carpio (L.) and Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.) has any effect on the population of rice leaffolders Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee) and rice caseworms Nymphula depunctalis (Guenee), two common pests in intensively cultured rice fields. Fish had no effect on the rice leaffolder population, but significantly lowered the number of rice caseworm adults and larvae. We concluded that fish have some effect on the arthropod pest population in rice fields, although, most probably, only on sluggish pests living in the water or on the water surface.